Fairfield author gets the blood flowing with new science book

Scott Gargan

Published 6:19 pm, Thursday, December 27, 2012

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Fairfield author HP Newquist aims to dispel the ick factor surrounding blood -- but without leaving out too much of the ick -- in his easily digestable science/history book, "The Book of Blood: From Legends and Leeches to Vampires and Veins." less

Fairfield author HP Newquist aims to dispel the ick factor surrounding blood -- but without leaving out too much of the ick -- in his easily digestable science/history book, "The Book of Blood: From Legends and ... more

Photo: Contributed Photo

Fairfield author gets the blood flowing with new science book

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When we think of blood, something vile or disturbing usually comes to mind -- bloodsucking vampires, bizarre rituals, gaping wounds. The sight of it is enough to make some people faint.

But as Fairfield author HP Newquist points out, "There is more to blood than it's red and kind of gross." Blood is extremely complex, it forever moves through our bodies and most importantly, it keeps us alive.

Newquist aims to dispel the ick factor surrounding blood -- but without leaving out too much of the ick -- in his new book, "The Book of Blood: From Legends and Leeches to Vampires and Veins" (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $17.19).

"Every one of us is filled with a full gallon of blood; it's coursing through our bodies," said Newquist, who previously wrote "The Great Brain Book: An Inside Look at the Inside of Your Head." "But a lot of people don't know what it actually does."

The highly-visual, sharply-written publication reads like the high school biology textbook you wished your teacher had used. Newquist gets the heart pumping with an overview of the building blocks of blood (plasma, platelets, hemoglobin, red and white blood cells), relating the facts to readers in easily digestible terms. ("Think of these components as being similar to the ingredients in a chocolate milkshake," he writes.)

Later in the book, Newquist writes about blood protecting the body, acting "like an army, going out to attack invaders, fight off infections, destroy bacteria."

"It sounds violent, and at the microscopic level it truly is," he said.

The book gets a little freaky as Newquist delves into blood's past, from early man's belief in blood gods (the Hindu goddess Kali was said to drink the blood of her enemies) to ancient sacrificial rites (the Aztecs ripped the hearts out of victims) to the earliest scientific research (the Turkish surgeon Galen had the chance to see the insides of injured gladiators).

During the Dark Ages, Newquist writes, bloodletting (usually done by barbers -- yes, barbers, because many surgeons became infected and died during the Black Plague) became a popular form of treatment. That was until the Age of Enlightenment, when, after research progressed, doctors let go of bloodletting and transfusions became common practice.

Today, even with humanity's understanding of blood and how it nourishes the body, the crimson fluid continues to spook many people, Newquist said. Myths from thousands of years ago still haunt us. He pointed to many instances in popular culture -- TV's "The Walking Dead," "Twilight" and "True Blood," for instance -- in which "blood-fueled creatures terrorize normal human beings.

"We have a culture that finds the whole idea of blood to be both mysteriously attractive, yet incredibly mysterious scientifically," Newquist said.

Since it was released earlier this year, the book has been recognized with two honors: the American Association for the Advancement of Science Prize For Excellence and Outstanding Science Trade Book, given by the National Science Teachers Organization. Of the book, the NSTO said, "This will appeal to a wide audience and does a good job of describing many anecdotes about blood."

Newquist hopes that by exposing more people to how blood actually works, and uncovering the sources of our collective terror, we might warm up to that sticky red substance flowing through our veins.

"The stuff inside might seem scary, but once you understand what it does, a lot of the fear goes away," he said. "You understand and appreciate just what your body can do."